The Huffington Post successfully recruited readers to pay the salary of one of their reporters for a year.

Using an unorthodox funding strategy, the online news outlet teamed up with Beaconreader.com to back the hiring of a special reporter to cover the story of Ferguson, Missouri after reporters left the scene where Michael Brown was shot to death by a police officer.

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The project already raised over $40,000 to pay the one-year salary of Ferguson-area reporter Mariah Stewart. According to Grim, The Huffington Post will pay for Stewart’s health benefits and equipment.

Grim admitted that the project is controversial but reminded critics that “no media company has an infinite editorial budget.”